A brand-new development house has stepped into the indie scene, and they’re doing it with style, ambition, and a whole lot of sonic weirdness. London-based Twenty 46 Studios has officially revealed its debut project: I Dream of Demons, a psychedelic puzzle-platformer shaped around human emotion, reactive soundscapes, and a journey into the player’s own subconscious.
The project is led by Studio Director Al Hardiman, a musician and multidisciplinary artist who has spent more than 15 years touring with Grammy-nominated electronic artist Bonobo. That musical heritage sits at the core of the game’s design, positioning I Dream of Demons as an introspective, trance-like adventure where every jump, stumble or moment of hesitation directly transforms the world around you.
A dreamscape that moves to your rhythm
The premise is simple on paper: navigate a series of vibrant, shifting realms and confront the demons hiding in the spaces between light and shadow. The execution, however, is anything but ordinary.
Twenty 46 describes the world as a living projection of the player’s mind. The pulsing soundtrack, a central pillar of the experience, reacts dynamically depending on how you play:
- Lose energy, and the soundscape drags itself through molasses, darkening the world.
- Absorb too much energy and colours bloom violently, speeding everything up until the environment becomes overwhelming.
It’s a constant negotiation between harmony and chaos, powered by reactive systems that merge platforming with musical expression.
A meditative quest into the subconscious
Beyond its mechanical hooks, I Dream of Demons aims to be a reflective journey inspired by universal emotional themes, the battles we fight internally, the parts of ourselves we fear, and the moments of clarity that break through the noise.
Players will grapple between nodes, illuminate hidden corners of their subconscious with bursts of energy, and confront hostile manifestations lurking in the dark. It’s part platformer, part rhythm experience, part introspective odyssey.
The studio behind the vision
Twenty 46 Studios itself is a new name, but its leadership team is anything but inexperienced. The founders have more than 20 years of industry-spanning experience across film, television, music, arena shows, and more.
Hardiman’s background includes work with Radiohead, Florence Welch, The Cinematic Orchestra, and composition for BAFTA-winning directors. Now, he’s turning that creative legacy toward games — the medium he describes as his “ultimate passion”.
“We’ve created a dynamic, visually rich, and — I hope — deeply engaging ride that probes the heart of what it means to be human,” Hardiman said. “I Dream of Demons is a game that cannot be explained — it must be experienced.”
I Dream of Demons has no confirmed release window yet, but if the early details are anything to go by, it’s shaping up to be something truly distinct in the indie space, a playable fever dream about emotion, balance, and the music of the mind.
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